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ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Conditioning’

High humidity is a major problem with staying cool during the summer. Especially during the late summer. The high levels of moisture in the air make it harder for your body to release heat through sweating, and that trapped heat makes the hot temperatures feel even hotter. There isn’t much you can about this when you’re outside… but you can change it inside your home.

If you have some level of familiarity with home comfort systems, you’ll likely know that a heat pump works in a similar fashion to an air conditioner. Both use a process of heat exchange involving the circulation of refrigerant that absorbs heat in one location and releases it in another. Both have similar indoor and outdoor units and contain compressors, an exhaust fan, a blower fan, and two sets of coils. The main difference between the two is that the heat pump can work in reverse so that it can bring heat into a home as well as remove it.

You probably know that one of the basic components that makes an air conditioner work (and most types of refrigeration equipment) is a chemical called refrigerant. But how much do you know about how refrigerant works to keep your home cool during the summer? If you’ve ever been curious about refrigerant, we have some facts to share with you. However, this information is no substitute for professional skill and training, so whenever your air conditioner starts to experience trouble doing its job, make sure to call on HVAC technicians to take care of the necessary AC repairs.

Summers can grow quite hot in Evanston: try to imagine making it through a week or even a few days in July without an AC that will always come on when its needed—and stay on as long as it’s needed. The best way to have this assurance of reliability and performance is to schedule maintenance for the system from a professional HVAC technician. You’ll receive a thorough check-up and inspection, plus any necessary adjustments, that will see that your air conditioner will remain energy-efficient and with little chance of encountering repair needs through the year.

To arrange for regular maintenance from some of the best AC technicians in Evanston, IL and the Chicagoland area, call up Malek Heating & Cooling today.

The air conditioning that keeps your home cool during the summers uses a chemical blend called refrigerant to run. This is what allows the AC to carry out the process of heat exchange: the refrigerant absorbs heat from inside your house through evaporation, and then releases the heat to the outside through condensation.

There is something very important you need to know about refrigerant: it isn’t something your air conditioner “uses up.” It doesn’t work like gasoline for a car or natural gas for a furnace. The refrigerant inside the AC won’t dissipate as it goes through heat exchange, and it should remain at the same level (known as its charge) as long as you have your AC. If the charge drops because of a leak, your air conditioner will encounter major problems. At the first sign that your air conditioner is losing cooling power, call for repair technicians.

If you need air conditioning repairs done fast and done right, call on Malek Heating & Cooling for service in Skokie, IL and the surrounding areas. We have 24-hour emergency help available.

There are a number of reasons that low refrigerant is bad news for an AC and needs professional repairs right away:

Drop in cooling power: Without the right level of refrigerant, the air conditioner will not be able to absorb the amount of heat from inside your home necessary to reach the cooling level you expect.

Ice along the coils: The refrigerant that moves through the evaporator coil will not warm up enough because of its reduced amount; the remaining refrigerant will stay too cold and begin to freeze water moisture along the coils, which will further restrict heat exchange.

Damage to the compressor: This is the most serious problem low refrigerant may trigger. The change in pressure in the air conditioner because of loss of charge will place extra stress on the compressor, leading to it rapidly wearing down. The compressor may also overheat because of the lower amount of refrigerant. A burnt-out compressor is the most expensive repair an air conditioner may require, so you must have low refrigerant fixed as soon as possible.

Malek Heating & Cooling has taken care of air conditioning repairs since 1998. Give us a call when you need help with your home cooling. If your AC has lost charge, we will seal up the leaks and recharge the refrigerant to the right level.

Most homeowners know very little about what goes on inside of the air conditioning system. And for the most part, this is okay. Why should you have to worry about the inner workings of your AC when you can call technicians to take care of AC services for you? For the most part, all you have to do is program your thermostat and let the system do the rest. But if you want to prevent problems from occurring with your air conditioning unit—or even prevent damage to your home—you may want to get a little more familiar with some of the key components featured in this guide. And call the friendly technicians at Malek Heating and cooling when you’re ready to schedule air conditioning services in Evanston, IL.

Air Filter – You probably know that the air filter helps your family breathe a little easier by filtering out some common contaminants. But you may not know just how much damage a dirty filter can do. When the filter is clogged, air cannot get through, but your unit is designed to let in a certain amount of airflow. Without it, the evaporator coil can freeze over, and many of the components could falter as a result.

Thermostat – Now, you probably already know the basics of how to use your home thermostat. But are you taking advantage of all of the features yours has to offer? Make sure to program your thermostat to cool your home at an efficient temperature when you are home, and to raise the temperature (or shut off the system) when you’re away. Try not to frequently adjust your thermostat or set it to a lower setting than is necessary, as this will reflect on your energy bills.

Condensate Drain – This is a part you may be less familiar with, but it’s important to know that your air conditioner can leak and cause some major damage to the home, especially if your unit leaks through your ceiling and into your home. Have a technician visit for air conditioning maintenance to prevent this possibility.

Air conditioning a home through warm months and hot spells can become expensive. However, with the installation of a high-efficiency air conditioner you can reduce those steep bills to more manageable levels. The technology of cooling continues to advance each year, and with these advances comes ACs that use less power to produce greater levels of cooling.

The way you can determine the level of energy-efficiency from an air conditioning system is to check on its SEER. This technical specification will tell you how much energy the system will use and how that compares to the cooling power it produces. When you are in the market for a new AC, understanding SEER is crucial for locating the right system for you.

However, SEER isn’t the only piece of information you should know: there are many other considerations, and therefore you should always contact HVAC professionals to assist you with selecting new air conditioning in Winnetka, IL. Call Malek Heating & Cooling for the experienced technicians necessary to find the right AC for you. We’ve served the Chicagoland area since 1998.

What SEER Stands For and What It Means

The acronym SEER stands for “seasonal energy efficiency ratio.” It represents the ratio of cooling power an air conditioner produces (as measured in BTUs) to the amount of energy it consumes (in watt-hours) as measured over a whole season. A similar specification, EER (energy efficiency ratio), is measured over a single test. SEER gives you an idea of how much you can expect to pay for cooling during a whole season: the higher the number, the more efficiently the AC converts electricity into cooling, and the less expensive it is to run.

For most air conditioners, SEER falls between 14 and 20. In order for an air conditioner to qualify for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR label, it must have a SEER of at least 14.5. Some high-end ACs can have 20 SEER or even greater.

Although SEER is important, you shouldn’t simply pick an air conditioner with the highest SEER available. There are more factors involved in properly and effectively cooling a home than energy-efficiency. For example, an air conditioner can have an astonishingly high SEER of 22, but if it isn’t sized right to cool your home, all its efficiency will go to waste. You want to find a balance of factors, including SEER, to locate the ideal air conditioner for your cooling needs and your budget plans.

Since you should never attempt to install a central AC on your own, make sure that you have the professional installers involved in the process from an early stage. Experts will help you select the air conditioning in Winnetka, IL that will do the all-around job you need for comfort and savings. Call Malek Heating & Cooling when you are ready to start searching for your perfect air conditioner.